Dr. Strange

Just like hippies dropping tabs of LSD in the late 1960s and groovin’ on hallucinogenic images in their scrambled brains, the cinematic engineers behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe just went “far out, man” with Doctor Strange.

This is a good thing. In fact, it is more much than just good. This is great because the strange Doctor Strange is so refreshing as a stylistic twist on the usual Avengers superhero story.

The physical now gives way to the metaphysical, even though the filmmakers maintain the usual quota of battle scenes vs. dramatic and/or humorous moments that are part of the Marvel formula.

One surprise is the quality of the filmmaking. Despite his somewhat mediocre career to date, American writer-director Scott Derrickson (Sinister, The Day the Earth Stood Still) shows his command over the dazzling visual palette of the new film; he worked with his pal C. Robert Cargill on the screenplay; he is blessed with an utterly engaging and convincing performance by English superstar Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role; and he takes Marvel into a deep dive into Oriental mysticism. This after a steady dose of more familiar comic book conventions in the Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk movies, not to mention the hilarious Guardians of the Galaxy.

Doctor Strange is the 14th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the first to completely engage and thus establish a multi-verse, through magic and mysticism in the story and through the dark art of digital special effects in the real world. This multi-verse will allow future Marvel instalments to access other dimensions and worlds with more “logic” in the leap, especially compared to the seemingly random scenes in Avengers: Age of Ultron when our tortured heroes were just trippin’ out.

As a comic book character, Doctor Strange launched in Marvel’s Strange Tales #110 in July of 1963. In the subsequent decades, the character never entered Marvel’s pantheon of top-ranked superheroes. That gave the filmmakers licence to reinvent him somewhat in the new film. Strange is still an arrogant, self-serving but supremely talented neurosurgeon Stephen Strange; he still is reduced to a physical wreck in a car accident; he still travels to Kathmandu to find a way to heal his trembling, scarred hands through a reluctant embrace of Eastern spiritualism; and he still becomes a sorcerer.

But many of his personal quirks, the specifics of his training in mysticism and martial arts and his non-magical girlfriend (Rachel McAdams) are reworked from his comic book origins story. Among many other changes, his mentor — The Ancient One — is now a Celtic woman and not an Asian man. She is played by Tilda Swinton, who is wondrous to behold for her androgynous physicality, modulated vocal tones, bald head and earthly sensuality.

The villain of the piece is equally fascinating because Marvel cast the great Dane, Mads Mikkelsen in the role of Kaecilius. Mikkelsen brings a calm malevolence and contained fury to the role, which enhances his many physical and metaphysical battles with Cumberbatch. They are worthy opponents.

Other key players include Chiwetel Ejiofor, who reportedly was instrumental in making the role of magician Karl Mordo less of an all-out villain, veering towards moral ambiguity as he charts his course in this film and other Marvel movies to come. British actor Benedict Wong plays Wong, who is Strange’s highly intelligent ally and not the stereotypical Asian manservant he was in the comics. So that is also a good thing.

The mind-blowing segments of Doctor Strange involve the manipulation of realities, including turning the physical worlds of New York, London and Hong Kong into fantastical streetscapes that change planes, defy gravity and leave our heads spinning. Even Dutch artist M.C. Escher would have been impressed.

The routine segments of the new film involve the plodding story; the bones of the narrative are too obvious from the beginning, even if you are not familiar with the comic books. But Cumberbatch, Mikkelsen, Swinton, Ejiofor and even McAdams get to layer in the emotional and intellectual flesh that at least enhances the obvious plot points that Marvel needs to make to prepare Strange for future films.

For two teasers on where this might go, you absolutely have to stay through the end credits! And I say, bring it on, more Strange!